Stanford Spotlight - Volleyball's Sara Sandrik

Sept. 12, 2000

Twinkle Toes

by Aimee Dombroski

Do you remember the little girl in the supermarket who was dancing down the isle in between busy shoppers? The little girl who would break out into song at the drop of a hat? Well, that little girl grew up and is now using some new moves on the volleyball court.

Junior Sara Sandrik, who recently made the move from middle blocker to outside hitter, is keeping opponents on their toes averaging a team-leading 3.83 kills per game as well as 2.50 digs per game. The impressive stats have not gone unnoticed as Sandrik was named to the UNM-Comcast Invitational and BYU/Mizuno Classic all-tournament teams this year.

But what happened to that little ballerina? Oh, she's still here.

"I think dance has helped me in my volleyball game," said Sandrik. "I feel like it helped me with my coordination, and I'm able to use my body to the best of its ability."

Sandrik took ballet, tap, jazz - anything and everything while she was growing up. Her love of dance followed her to Stanford. On the court she might be playing volleyball, but off the court her teammates call her "Fly" after the Fly Girls who danced on the television show "In Living Color".

"It didn't take long for me to get a nickname my freshman year," said Sandrik with a smile. "I was at a party and the music was playing, and I just started dancing. I love to sing and dance."

Wait, singing, too?

"I've taken voice lessons and really enjoyed it," Sandrik said. "Lindsay (Kagawa) wants me to sing the national anthem on Senior Night this year, but I'm not sure. I get pretty nervous in front of crowds."

The 6-1 outside hitter from Pelham, Alabama discovered volleyball when she was in eighth grade.

"I had just moved to Wyoming and had played basketball up until that point," she explained. "Some coaches saw me playing volleyball with some friends and saw some potential in me. My mom was glad when I switched to volleyball - she was always worried about her "little ballerina" getting knocked around on the basketball court."

Now-a-days volleyball is the only course on the menu and Sandrik seems to be handling her move to the outside hitting position very well.

"I think I've made the adjustment to a new position pretty well," said Sandrik. "The outsider hitter position fits my body and skills at a collegiate level. I'm starting to feel less like a middle blocker stuck on the outside and more like a true outside hitter."

She also enjoys the extra responsibilities that come with the outside position.

"I pass the ball a lot more and get more swings," she noted. "It's a little different now since I'll hit a ball then have to get prepared to get another set and hit it again. It's fun, though."

Does her experience as a middle blocker help Sandrik at her new position?

"I think so," she said. "Being a middle blocker taught me to see the ball well, and I've been able to use that as an outside hitter. I also think I'm pretty versatile and able to hit a lot of different sets.

"The biggest thing I've had to learn is patience," Sandrik continued. "In the middle, you get a lot of quick sets for quick kills. That's not the case from the outside hitting position. I'm not going to get a kill every time I take a swing."

Interim head coach Denise Corlett thinks Sandrik is doing well as an outside hitter.

"She is doing an excellent job at a new position," said Corlett, "and is getting better every day. She has also established herself as a leader on our squad."

Now that's something to sing about.